Dropper for medicines, perfumes, and other liquids



Oct. 27, 1936. w, SCHAAFF DROPPER FOR MEDICINES, PERFUMES,` AND OTHER LIQUIDS Filed Jan. 3l, 1955 M TTORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED NSTATES PATENT ori-ICE naorrca Foa MEDICINE-s. PERFUMES.

AND o'rnna mQUms Louis W. Schaan, White Plains, N. Y., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of ity-two per cent to Wilhelmina M. Kuhn, New York,

This invention relates to droppers for dispensing liquids, and more particularly relates to droppers for dispensing medicines, perfumes and other liquids in small, regulated quantities.

Al A principal object of this invention is to provide a dropper for dispensing liquids in measured drops and another object of this invention is to provide a dropper whereby measured4 drops of different chosen sizes may be dispensed as desired. 10 A further obiect'of this invention is to provide a dropper which is self-filling when inserted in the liquid to be dispensed, and is self-dispensing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dropper equipped with filling means whereby 1I either a relatively small measured quantity or a relatively large quantity of liquid may be drawn into the dropper by a single operation of the illling means, as desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide a 2o dropper which is simple, inexpensive, durable and serviceable, convenient to use, and effective; and a further object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, durable and serviceable combination closure for a liquid container and 25 dropper of the character referred to.

Other objects of this invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed yout hereinafter.

In order that a clearer understanding of this invention may be had, attention is hereby directed 3o to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, and illustrating certainl possible embodiments of this invention, and in which:-

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a dropper embodying this invention;

35 Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 3 is a top view thereof Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a combination dropper and closure embodying this invention, and ap- 40 plied to a container;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modied combination dropper and closure embodying this invention; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view oi' a modified dropper 45 tube embodying this invention; as in Fig. 7 also.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawing, the interior of the 50 body I of the dropper tube communicates through a constricted aperture 2 into a relatively small chamber 3, which terminates in a constricted nozzle-like port l protruding from the small chamber at the extremity of the dropper tube.

55 Chamber 3 is designed to hold a measured drOP of liquid, and, due to the constricted apertures I and l, when liquid is forced out of the dropper it discharges drop by drop, and each drop is measured and uniform and of the size determined and governed by the capacity of the bulbular portion 5 3 the constricted neck 2 and constricted tip 4.

Any suitable bulb may be applied to the top of the dropper tube for drawing liquid into the tube and discharging the liquid therefrom. However, such bulb may comprise a collapsible bulb portion 10 5 which is transversely elliptical or oval so that when the bulb is collapsed flatwise and then released a relatively small quantity of liquid will be sucked up into the dropper tubeand when the bulb is collapsed edgewise and then released, a relatively large quantity of liquid is drawn up into the dropper tube, and in discharging liquid, collapsing the bulb atwise will discharge a smaller quantity of liquid than when the bulb is collapsed along its larger diameter. The collapsible bulb 5 may have an integral collar portion 6 adapted to fit over the top of the dropper tube and engage the bead 'i thereon, whereby' the bulb is removably held on and in operative association with the dropper tube.

If desired the bulb portion 5 may have an aperture 8, so that when the dropper is inserted into liquid the liquid will rise to its own level in the dropper tube, and when the dropper is removed from the liquid, the liquid will flow from the dropper drop by drop, this aperture thus rendering the dropper self-'filling and self-dispensing. To draw a larger quantity of liquid into the dropper it is only necessary to block the aperture, as with a finger or thumb, and operate the ybulb in the usual manner, and the self-dispensing of the liquid may be stopped at any time by merely placing a linger or thumb over the aperture, or blocking it otherwise.

As shown in Fig. 6, the extremity of the dropper 40 tube may have a removable tip 9, includinga portion l0 of the drop measuring chamber, the other portion Il of which chamber is present at the end of the body portion I2 .of the tube. Interchangeable tips having chamber portions of different capacities may be provided so that the dropper can be organized to dispense drops in different numbers for any given liquid in accordance with the particular capacity of the tip selected. The end of the body I2 of the tube and the tips 9 may be made with complementary shouldered portions il and I 4 so that each tip may be frictionally and detachably secured to the tube body in the manner of a plus. or the like. A

lli

elastic bulb i of the dropper may have a soft rubber base i6 adapted to engage over the bead l. of the dropper tube i, and an internally threaded collar il of suitably hard material, and fittingl the threaded neck i8 of a bottle la, or the like, may be vulcanized or otherwise attached to the bulb base it, thus providing a combined dropper and closure. Another modification of such combination, and as shown in Fig. 5, may have the interthreaded closureA portion formed integrally on .the body portion 2i of the dropper tube.

' Also, instead of forming the collar 22 of the bulb 28 to t outside of the dropper tube, this collar may nt inside of the tube and may be provided with a stop bead 2d adapted to engage the upper edge of the dropper tube.

The provision of an aperture in the bulb is optional, but when present the dropper will be selfililing up to the level of the liquid in which the dropper is inserted, and the liquid `will flow out v by itself when the dropper is removed from the vdi) surrounding liquid. Due to the special formation at the extremity of the dropper tube the liquid flows out drop by drop, and the drops are meafsui-ed and of uniform size in accordance with the capacity of the measuring chamber at the end of the dropper. By substituting a tip which alters the capacity of the measuring chamber the size of the uniform.,A measured drops will be altered correspondingly.. yThe use of a bulb of oval or elliptical cross section is also optional, but when prent. aifords means for dispensing either a rials, or combinations of materials are available.

relatively small or a relatively large quantity of liquid from the dropper upon a single collapsing of the bulb, and depending whether the bulb is collapsed on the line of its shorter diameter or on the line* of its longer diameter. A dropper including the features referred to may also be combined eectively with a single bottle closure, and.

the combination may be made in one piece or in a plurality of attachabie parts, and many mateioi' the purpose. It is also apparent that droppers made in accordance with this invention are simple, inexpensive and durable in construction, convenient and effective to use and attractive in appearance.

' -As many changes can be made in the above construction,4 and as many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is tobe understood that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing be interpreted as illustrative and not in a'limiting sense.

What I claim is:

l. A dropper tube of the character described having a main cavity, 'a relatively smallcavity in'communlcation with the main cavity through `a constricted passage, and a tip protruding from and having a constrictedpassage leading from the small cavity, governing the size and stabilizing the uniformity in size fof drops of the liquid discharging from the dropper tube when used,

and an elastic rubber bulb operatively secured to the upper end of said tube and having a vent aperture whereby when the dropper is immersed in liquid, the liquid flows into the Adropper to the liquid level, `and when the dropper is removed from the liquid, the liquid self-discharges from the Lmain cavity of the dropper, said constricted passages holding the liquid against self-discharging from the saidrelatively small cavity.

2. A dropper tube of the character described having an upper tubular portion, a relatively small bulbular portion, a constricted neck portion intermediate and having a constricted passage connecting the cavities of the tubular and bulbular portions, and a tip protruding from and having a constricted discharge passage .leading from the cavity of the bulbular portion, stabilizing the uniformity of the size of the drops of any given liquid discharging from the dropper tube when used, said relatively small cavity having a predetermined capacity equal to the volume of a predetermined number, one or more, of the uniform size drops of a chosen liquid as discharged by the dropper, and an elastic rubber bulb operatively secured to the upper end of said tube and having a vent aperture whereby when the dropper is immersed in liquid, the liquid ows into the dropper to the liquid level, and when the dropper is removed from the liquid, the liquid selfdischarges from the upper portion of the dropper, said constricted passages conning'a definitel volume of the liquid in the said bulbular portion equal to said predetermined capacity of the bulbular portion.

3. A dropper tube of the character described having an upper tubular portion, a relatively small bulbular portion, a constricted neck portion intermediate and having a constricted passage connecting the cavities of the tubular and bulbular portions, and a. tip protruding from and having a constricted discharge passage leading from theV cavity Aof the bulbular portion, stabilizing the uniformity of the size of the drops of any given liquid discharging from the dropper tube when used, the lower end portion of the tube. including a lower section of the bulbular portion and the protruding tip, being removable from the remainder of the tube and interchangeable with end portions having bulbular portion sections of dierent capacities to vary the capacity of the complete bulbular portion of the tube.

4. Adropper tube of the character described having a main cavity, a relatively small cavity in communication with the main cavity'through a constricted passage, and a tip protruding from and having a constricted passage leading from Y the small cavity, governing. the size and stabilizing the uniformity in size of drops of the liquid discharging from the dropper tube when used, and an elastic rubber bulboperatively secured to said tube, said bulb being of oval shape transversely. 5.` The combination dropper and container closure, including a one-piece member comprising a portion in the form of a dropper tube and a closure cap portion integral with the tube portion and adapted to t about and be engaged with the top of a container, the upper end of -the tube portion extending above said cap portion, and a dropper bulb operatively secured to the upper end of the dropper tube portion above the cap portion, whereby when the tube portion the container isclosed.

is' disposed in the container and said cap por- `tion is engaged with the top of the container,A I

6. A dropper tube oi' the character described discharging from. the dropper tube when used. having a main cavity, a relatively small cavity and an elastic rubber bulb applied to the tube, in communication with the main cavity through said bulb being of oval shape transversely and a constricted passage, and a tip protruding from having an air-hole in a location adapting the I and having a constricted passage leading from hole to be blocked by a iinger or thumb ot a 6,

the small cavity. governing the size and stabilizperson using the dropper. ing the uniformity in size of drops of the liquid LOUIS W. SCHAAFF. 

